Remember vinyl? If you are having trouble, you probably also missed a great ‘freebie’ that occasionally came along with the long play (LP) record: liner notes.

I clearly remember making the shift to compact disks (CDs)with The Cult’s 1989 release of Sonic Temple. I also remember being disappointed at the creative limits placed on liner notes by the CD’s compactness; in fact, there was no liner, but a 5×5″ insert that also acted as the cover. Clearly, you could produce better ‘liner notes’ than those folded multiple times into a cassette case, but it was a far cry from the elaborate 12×12″ notes that could be included in an LP. When CD’s were replaced by MP3′s the concept of the liner notes died* along with a good chunk of the music industry.

The beauty of the liner notes was that it gave the artist another way to connect with their fans. Foremost, fans bought the record for the music, and the cover probably played some role. But if you wanted to get a look inside the mind of the artist –whether to help decipher lyrics, or to see sketches and other expressions of the artist’s creativity– the liner notes were the best!

I always felt a bit ripped off when an artist didn’t include liner notes (especially when the album proved to be a one-hit wonder), and considered why the artist wouldn’t make the effort:

It probably came down to cost. I could just imagine some record executive saying, “Hey <artist>, your fans are buying the music, not your expensive-to-produce liner notes, wouldn’t you rather split the savings and get more blow?” A question to which many an artist responded: “Snort!”.

Many artists skipped this unique opportunity to create a bond with their fans that transcended the musical medium; I see this as indicative of much of the business world at large. I often see successful companies coming up with their own ‘liner notes’, that allow them to step beyond the basic product they are trying to sell, and many unsuccessful companies that do not. Some examples:

• BMW offers driver training that helps customers appreciate their cars.
• Starbucks endeavours to hire staff that can create a bond with their regular customers.
• Apple offers free training at their Apple Stores to reach out to less ‘tech-savvy’ customers.
• Harley Davidson & Lego have built brand communities that bring fans together.
• Home Depot offers home improvement courses.

Do your favourite brands have ‘liner notes’? How about your company?

*There are some attempts by artists and iTunes to re-create this kind of format (see ‘iTunes LP’), and a few bands have done this well.